Harry Potter and the Phoenix Rebirth
by KayouKitsune
Summary: Harry was abused by the Dursleys, and then shipped off in a box. Years later, he comes back to attend Hogwarts. But he's a girl now! What does this mean for the world? Dark Dumbledore, Manipulative Weasleys, and possible Voldemort mocking. FemHarry/Neville/Hermione soul bond as well.
1. Welcome to Hogwarts

Greetings everyone, and welcome to my new story! This is the first of three potential Harry Potter fics that I am going to work on. This story will follow the major events for now, but may break off and go completely AU later on. I will also be more than likely breaking it up into a story per year format, to keep it from getting too big.

For those that are curious, I have not abandoned Snow Fox, and I do have the next chapter for it about halfway done. This story just would not leave me alone until it was written, so I hope you enjoy it!

* * *

The clatter of train wheels upon steel rails was as soothing as it was loud; at least it was to one of the passengers of the Hogwarts Express. Her eyes were closed as she sat on the floor off her compartment, in a position known as seiza. Her breathing was even and smooth as she focused inward, adding layers to her Occlumency shields. This was a daily ritual for her, and one that she enjoyed greatly. It was the only time during her routine schedule that she was able to relax and assimilate what she had learned.

Compared to all of the other children on the train, she was an anomaly in every way. She was not dressed in casual Muggle or Wizarding clothing, or the robes for the school she was heading to. Instead, her clothing was what could only be called unique. From neck to wrist and ankle, her entire body was covered by a pristine white bodysuit. Over the bodysuit were a tank top and a pair of very short shorts. Both items when worn without the garment underneath would be considered beyond scandalous. On top of her body suit though, they gave her at least the impression of decency since they covered the important areas. She was too young to have "womanly attributes," but she knew that around the English, she had to maintain a certain amount of decorum. That meant two or more layers of clothing in certain areas, no matter her age. From the neck of her body suit up was more of the snug white material, it covered the lower half of her face, as well as her nose. Her forehead was covered by a cloth headband that wrapped around her head and tied her black and silver streaked hair into a ponytail that simulated the top knots of the ancient samurai. Where the band tied her hair back, it made a small bow. What could be determined of her features and body through her coverings hinted at a girl with a body that was sleek and honed from some sort of physical activity. Aside from her unusual dress, and obvious level of fitness, the most striking thing was the scar that ran down the left side of her face from beneath her headband down under her mask. On her left wrist was the only piece of jewelry she wore, a snug chain that had a sword charm dangling from it.

The girl's meditation was cut short when the door to her compartment slammed open quite loudly. She kept her eyes closed and her breathing even as she finished the newest layer of her mental shielding, and then waited to see if the person rude enough to slam open the door would come in, speak, or leave. Unfortunately, it was the second of those options, and not the last.

"Have you seen a toad? A boy named Neville's lost one."

With one sentence, Hermione Granger managed to gain the ire of the girl sitting on the ground. The bushy haired girl drew her attention away from the odd girl that was on the floor, and finally noticed the compartment. It looked nothing like the other compartments. It was expanded, and looked like it was taken from a Japanese shrine. The floors were covered in tatami mats, the walls had kanji and picture hangings, and everything in the almost spartan room screamed oriental. Her mouth gaped open as she took in the glaringly obvious use of advanced magics.

The girl on the floor finally opened her eyes when she realized the annoyance wouldn't leave when ignored. She looked up at Hermione, causing the girl to gasp and recoil in horror. The unnamed girl's right eye was a stunning and piercing shade of green that seemed to draw people in. The left eye had a line through it that followed the scar on her face, and the once beautiful orb was now milky white in blindness. The girl stared at the intruder, her expression impossible to read or interpret behind the mask. After another long pause, she finally spoke, her voice soft from not being used. Even with how soft her voice was, it was obviously melodic and beautiful.

"The animal is not here, as you can see. Now, what do you want, that you must stare at me like I am on display for you to enjoy?"

Hermione blinked, jerked back into the real world from wherever seeing the damaged eye had taken her. She remembered what little she had read about Japanese customs, and gave a short bow to the other girl.

"I am sorry, it was rude of me to barge in, and then to stare at you. My name is Hermione."

The masked girl smiled just a little bit at the gesture, thinking that perhaps this place was not a total loss. She nodded her head a little to Hermione.

"I am Mai. If you would like, you can join me here. In fact, invite the boy Neville. When he arrives, I can get his toad to show up."

As Mai spoke, the room shimmered and vanished, revealing the normal train compartment had not been transformed, but simply covered with an illusion. This was surprising to Hermione, since none of the textbooks she had made mention of illusion magic. She left the compartment to go find Neville, deciding to ask Mai about it when she got back. It took some time to get to the boy, as a lot of people were going from compartment to compartment to talk to friends. She finally caught up with him, and they left the compartment they had first been in, abandoning the loud and obnoxious red head that they had been forced to deal with. As they dragged their trunks down the train, Hermione warned Neville about Mai's mode of dress, her eye, and that she doesn't like staring. They finally reached the compartment that Mai was in, and stowed their trunks. While Hermione had been gone, Mai had moved from the floor to one of the benches, sitting with her feet tucked beside her. Hermione sat beside Mai and Neville across from the girls. Neville bowed his head a little as Hermione suggested, and introduced himself.

"Hello, I'm Neville. Hermione said you could help me find my toad?"

Mai nodded, and flicked her right hand, causing her wand to appear in it. Both Neville and Hermione were surprised at that, not having seen anything like it. Mai looked at Neville for a moment before speaking.

"You will need to get your wand out to learn the charm I am going to use."

Neville fumbled his wand out of his pocket quickly, and waited for Mai to show him what she was going to do. She gave a light flick with her wand as she spoke the charm out loud.

"Accio Trevor."

For a moment, nothing happened, and then the toad flew into the compartment through the open door, landing in Mai's lap. Neville and Hermione were shocked at this, though Neville began to smile happily at the thought of learning this charm. Mai looked over at the boy, and smiled a little through her mask.

"This charm is not taught until much later here from what I gathered while reading my books. My father taught it to me as one of my first charms though. You do not have to move your wand to use the charm, though I tend to give it a flick to get my magic moving sometimes. All you have to do is picture in your mind what you are summoning, then release your magic and say the charm. You go first Neville, and once you have it right, Hermione can learn it."

Neville nodded at the instructions before gulping. He focused on his toad, picturing Trevor in his mind clearly. He tried three times to summon the toad from Mai's lap, failing each time. Right as he was about to try a fourth time, Mai put her hand on his to stop him.

"Neville, where did you get that wand? You are doing everything right, but I can feel your magic sputter out when it reaches your wand."

Neville looked down, blushing from embarrassment, thinking she was calling him a squib like his relatives did.

"It was my father's wand. My gran gave it to me and said I should be honored to use it, because he was a well-known Auror. My entire family says I am a borderline squib though, because I can almost never get spells right."

Mai shook her head and stood up on the bench to reach into her trunk. She opened it up and dug around for a moment before pulling out a large wooden box that was about two feet in length, a foot and a half in width, and a foot in depth. She set the gleaming mahogany box down, and opened it up, pulling out a series of trays from inside that only fit because of expansion charms. Each tray held six wands in it; each wand came with a wrist holster. Once she had all twelve trays arranged how she wanted them, she looked up to Neville and Hermione.

"My father is a wand maker, and has been teaching me the trade. I plan to follow in his footsteps, and open my own wand shop when I am ready. My wands are more complex than the ones sold at Ollivander's shop, since most of them feature two or three cores. They also have ward runes carved into them, so that nobody but the person the wand bonds to can use it. The final thing that I think both of you will like is that none of my wands have the trace spell on them to alert the English Ministry of Magic to underage magic use. Neville, you go first, see if you can find a wand that suits you. Before you ask, they are free. I cannot charge for a wand until I am certified as a master craftsman, and I would never charge a friend unless I had to."

Neville looked at the wands spread out around the cabin, his eyes wide. He had heard of wands that had more than one core material, but they had not been seen in centuries in England. Reverently, he ran his hands over the polished wood, pausing at a deep red wand. He looked up to Mai, and she nodded for him to pick it up. He took it in his hand, holding the wand up. Once the wand was away from the tray, Neville was wrapped in a warm golden glow that lasted for five seconds. Mai smiled under her mask at him.

"That wand is mahogany, like the case I carry them in. The core is a phoenix feather wrapped in woven unicorn hair. Take the wrist holster for it, and once Hermione has a wand, I will show you what the holsters can do."

Neville nodded and took the holster for the wand, in too much of a daze to pay much attention to anything at the moment aside from his wand. He had felt his magic surge up and into the wand, and with it in his hand, he felt stronger than he ever had. He finally shook his head, and watched as Hermione was running her hand over the wands. She settled on a light colored wand with a slight silver sheen to the polish, and picked it up. Once more, the cabin was filled with a soft golden glow. Mai held out the holster, and Hermione took it with a bright smile. Mai packed the trays back into the box, and then put the box back into her trunk before sitting down.

"Hermione, your wand is silver oak. It has three cores in it: a dragon heartstring, unicorn hair, and kneazle whiskers. If you two are curious, my wand is made from ancient ebony, the tree it came from is over five thousand years old. My cores are a phoenix feather and dragon heartstring, surrounded by woven unicorn and thestral hair. I must tell you both, it is important that you do not tell anyone where you got your wands, or what is in them. You will understand why when we arrive at the castle, where a lot of things will be brought to light. Both of you have wands that are extremely powerful. Normally I make a wand with only one top level core material, and one or more lower level ones. Both of you have two top level cores, with Hermione's wand having a lower level third core. Now then, let's talk about your holsters. Those my father made, I do not know how to make them yet. If you will both hold out your wand arms, I will put the holsters on, and show you what they can do."

Neville and Hermione both held out their wand arms, with the sleeves of their school robes pulled back. Mai quickly fastened the holsters onto their arms, and then had them put their wands in them. The holsters glowed a soft white color before suddenly vanishing. Mai spoke up before the other two could panic.

"Do not worry; the holsters have just turned invisible. Very few things can penetrate the invisibility runes on them. They also prevent your wands from being summoned away from you. Also, if you drop your wand, or are disarmed, the wand will go back into the holster. These holsters are what the Aurors here use, and are very expensive. Yours are even more costly, because the holster is attuned to your wand. If you need your wand, just flick your wrist and close your hand like you were holding your wand, and it will appear in your hand. Let go, and it will go back into the holster."

Mai sat back in her seat as Neville and Hermione both stared at their arms where the holsters sat. Neville knew what holsters like the ones they had just been given cost, and it was in the thousands of Galleons. When an Auror was given theirs, they had a portion of each paycheck taken back by the DMLE to pay for their holsters, and any other gear they were issued. It usually took five years to pay back just the holster for an entry level Auror, and this girl had just given away two of them like it was nothing. He looked up at Mai, only for her to bring her finger up to her mask in an obvious gesture for silence.

Hermione, being a Muggle born, had no idea the rarity or cost of the holsters they had been given. She was much more in awe of the magic imbued in them. Once Neville and Hermione had gotten over their initial shock, Mai picked up Trevor and set the toad back in her lap.

"Okay Neville, let's try this again. See if you can summon the toad from my lap to you."

Neville nodded, and flicked his wrist like Mai had done earlier, and smiled when his wand appeared in his hand. He carefully focused on the image of Trevor floating to him, and cast the spell.

"Accio Trevor!"

The toad let out an unamused croak as it floated off of Mai's lap and into Neville's hand. The boy let out an excited cheer, and jumped out of his seat. He could feel a massive difference with his new wand, and was capable of actually doing magic. He silently swore to himself that he would be there for Mai and Hermione no matter what. After celebrating for a minute, he sat down with Trevor in his lap so that Hermione could take a turn.

The bushy haired girl flicked her wrist, gripping her new wand tightly. She did exactly as Mai had instructed, and created a mental image of Trevor floating to her before casting the spell.

"Accio Trevor!"

The toad left Neville's lap, and flew straight to Hermione, whom caught him out of reflex, and hand him back to Neville. She smiled brightly, and looked at the two people in the compartment with her.

"I hope we are all in the same house, and that we stay friends no matter what!"

Neville and Mai nodded at her words, both voicing their agreement. Their happiness was cut short however, by a voice at the door to the compartment.

"What's this? A squib, a mudblood, and a half blind freak? Looks like I found my new private cabin. You all can leave now, and be glad that you could do something for a Malfoy."

Neville's insecurity came back at the squib comment, and Hermione got ready to stand up. She didn't know what mudblood meant, but it was obviously offensive. She was stopped when Mai held up her hand, and got up, moving to stand in front of the blond boy that had spoken. She stared at him quietly for several long seconds, until he began to fidget. Finally, she spoke, her voice laced with venom and mockery.

"You think because you are from a family that has a bit of money, that you are a god among men, don't you? If I were you, I would not be proud of a name that means 'bad faith.' Now why don't you get lost, before you and your goons get smacked around, you worthless little ponce."

The boy puffed up at her words, and spoke with all of the righteous indignation that an eleven year old could.

"Now see here! I am Draco Malfoy, heir to the House of Malfoy, and you would do best by-"

His words were cut off by a loud bang as Mai set off a magical firecracker spell that was designed to get attention in noisy situations. She also drove her knee into his family jewels, causing Draco to fold up and fall over with a squeak. She stared at the two meat bags that were with him, and then gestured to the boy whom was whimpering on the ground.

"Take your friend and get out of here. If he comes back, the next thing that I do to him will be permanent."

She turned away and went back to her seat, smiling at Neville and Hermione. After the excitement wore down, the three of them were soon engrossed in a discussion of their class books, the only interruption being the lady with the cart full of sweets, which all three of them partook of.

* * *

In the Hogwarts castle, things were chaotic to say the least. House elves were all over the place, and the teachers bustled to and fro. One member of the staff was in a panic for reasons that did not have anything to do with the horde of students coming in. The aged headmaster of the school was focused on one particular child, and the fact that he had been missing for six years, and that somehow Dumbledore had been removed as his guardian.

**(Flashback)**

On Harry Potter's fifth birthday, all of the monitoring devices he had placed on the child and the blood wards went haywire. He quickly left the school through his office Floo connection, and then apparated to number four Privet Drive.

He arrived to find that everyone was gone. He sat down in the living room, and waited for the Dursleys to get back. When they showed up, and without Harry Potter, Albus Dumbledore questioned them. When Vernon Dursley told the old man that the child had gotten in the way while Petunia was cooking, and got his face cut open by a dropped knife, Albus knew that he was being lied to. He made eye contact with the man, and used Legilimancy on the muggle. What he saw drove him into a rage.

"You were supposed to keep him humble, make his life miserable so that he would look up to me when he went to Hogwarts, and would do whatever I told him to do. You were not supposed to rape him, and then mutilate his face when he tried to escape! Where is the boy?"

Vernon smirked at the old man, knowing that he had won this round.

"He's gone. I put him in one of my sister's crates to ship dogs, and mailed the little freak to Japan. We never wanted him here, or his freakishness! He's been gone for a week, and good riddance to rubbish. Now get out of my house and don't ever come back!"

Dumbledore looked at the fat muggle that had ruined his plans. The child was supposed to come to him weak and miserable, so he could control him, and the House Potter votes in the Wizengamot. He left the Dursleys house, and went back to the school to try and recoup his losses. He had six years before the child was supposed to go to school. Since he had appointed himself the magical guardian of Harry Potter, he could access Potter properties, and Harry's trust vault. For a year, he had siphoned money off of the account, and made his home in one of the Potter vacation homes. He figured he would make the best of it until the child was reported dead after not showing up to start school. His plans came crashing down however, when he was suddenly thrown out of the house he had been staying in, finding himself and all of his belongings at the edge of the wards. There were not many things that could cause that. Either someone had claimed Head of the Ancient and Noble House of Potter, or someone else had been named and recognized guardian of the Heir.

Dumbledore gathered up his things, and made his way back to Hogwarts. He would have to wait and plan accordingly.

**(End Flashback)**

As Dumbledore continued to plot and plan, Fawkes watched him sadly. The phoenix was not his familiar as the wizarding world had been told. The phoenix was bound to the school by the founders, and assisted the headmasters and headmistresses as needed. Fawkes knew what kind of man Dumbledore really was, and wished it could get him out of the school and away from the children. Unfortunately for the phoenix, it was a prospect that was years away at best.

A deep gong sounded throughout the castle, breaking the headmaster from his thoughts. The sound alerted the staff that the train had pulled into Hogsmeade Station, and the students would be on their way soon. Fawkes flew from his perch to Dumbledore's shoulder, something making him curious about the students coming to the school this year. Dumbledore made his way down to the Great Hall, being the last of the staff to arrive there. Once in the Great Hall, Fawkes flew off to perch by where the Sorting hat was.

All too quickly, the returning students had filled the tables, the noise level in the Great Hall comparable to that made by an army. Finally, the first years filed in, looking small like they always do. Many were nervous, while some were cocky and confident. Three of the kids stood out though, as they were clustered around a book and talking amongst themselves quietly, seemingly ignoring the rest of the first year students as they made their way to be sorted. Many students at the different house tables joked that the three were obvious Ravenclaws. Professor McGonagall waved them all forward so they were in a cluster and could hear her, instead of strung out between the tables.

Mai took the book that the three friends were looking at, and shrunk it without a word or her wand, which caused McGonagall's eyes to widen in shock. She stared at the masked girl for a moment, and then cleared her throat to get everyone's attention.

"Before we begin, Professor Dumbledore would like to say a few words."

Dumbledore stood up from his seat in the center of the staff table, his eyes roaming over the group of students waiting for their sorting. He did not see the Potter boy among them, though he did see one girl staring at him. He paused to examine the girl that was looking at him with an unreadable expression. Her hair, the band across her forehead, the mask covering the lower half of her face, and the one eye that was blind and scarred, they all added up to an enigma. She did not have the look of any of the pureblood lines, but she also was too confident to be a Muggle born. Finally, he cleared his throat.

"I have a few start of term notices I wish to announce. The First Years, please note, that the Dark Forest is strictly forbidden to all students. Also, our caretaker Mr. Filch has asked me to remind you that the third floor corridor on the right hand side is out of bounds to everyone that does not wish to die a most painful death. Thank You."

He sat down to a murmur of voices as all of the students in the school began to talk among themselves to try and figure out why he would say something like that. Professor McGonagall spoke up, getting everyone's attention once more.

"When I call your name, you will come forth. I shall place the sorting hat on your head, and you will be sorted into your houses. These houses will be like your family while you are here. Your successes will gain you points, and any rule breaking will lose them. I also would like to say that we encourage you to make friends both inside, and outside, of your houses. If you need assistance, seek out a student in a higher year, or speak to your Head of House."

She unfurled the scroll that was in her hand, and began to call out names. Finally, she called out Hermione Granger. The girl walked up, speaking to herself.

"Oh no, okay. You've got to relax. This is only something that sets your future among the school."

From the back of the group, a boy could be heard speaking loudly.

"Mental that one, I can tell."

Mai turned, her eye finding the boy that spoke, and she stared at him, her expression hard.

"If I hear you insult my friend again, I will call you out, and challenge you to an honor duel. Now be silent until your opinion is asked, if you wish to see the sun rise."

She turned back to see Hermione smile in thanks, and the hat yell out:

"GRYFFINDOR!"

Hermione smiled brightly, and Professor McGonagall took the hat so that the girl could run to the table that sat under the red and gold hangings, growing more confident as they cheered for her. She sat down in the middle of three empty seats, hoping that her friends would join her. The sorting continued, with the four houses cheering as they got new members. Soon enough, Neville Longbottom was called up to be sorted. He walked up nervously, sitting on the stool and fidgeting. He jumped a little when he heard a voice inside his head.

Well, another Longbottom for me to sort. It has been a long time since I have seen any of your family. Where do we put you? You're smart, even though you hide it. Ah, and loyal to your new friends too. I don't see much cunning in you, so we can rule out the house of snakes. I think for you, the best place is with your friends in-

"GRYFFINDOR!"

Neville let out a sigh of relief, and stood up as the hat was removed. He made his way to the Gryffindor table on shaky legs, gratefully taking a seat beside Hermione. She smiled at him, and then started telling him about the enchantments that were in the ceiling, quoting from the massive book the three of them had been reading when they entered. He looked around the table, relaxing more at seeing the welcoming smiles of those seated around him. Perhaps he had found where he belonged, for once. Hermione and Neville both turned to look at the sorting area when Draco Malfoy was called, and saw as the hat called out Slytherin before it had even touched him properly. Both of them watched, waiting to see their friend get called up. They were more than shocked though when Mai stepped forward when Professor McGonagall called out a name that everyone had been waiting for.

"Harry Potter."

Mai stepped forward, bowing a little to the professor and holding out her invitation letter, which bore the name that had just been called.

"Professor, I am, or at least I was, Harry Potter. I can explain why I am this way if you wish, in private. Though I go by the name Mai Potter now."

The entire hall was stunned into silence. Harry Potter, the Boy-Who-Lived, was a girl? What had happened to the child that would cause something like this? Had James Potter played a massive prank on everyone and told them his daughter was a boy, or was something more sinister at play here? Professor McGonagall looked up to the Headmaster, whom nodded for her to continue. She gestured for Mai to take a seat on the stool, which the child did. Before the Professor could put the hat on Mai's head, Fawkes let out a musical trill, and flew over to land in Mai's lap and stare her in the eye.

Everyone waited with bated breath as the child and phoenix stared at each other for several long seconds. Finally, Mai nodded, and Fawkes leaned in, pressing the side of his head against her blinded eye. The phoenix pulled away and flew off with another musical trill, letting everyone see that the once white eye was whole once more, and the same captivating green as her good one. Gasps of shock could be heard from around the hall as several people realized that the phoenix had used its tears to heal the girl's eye.

Finally, Professor McGonagall placed the sorting hat upon Mai's head. This time, the hat spoke out loud so that everyone could hear it.

"Well met Miss Potter. Would you mind lowering your shields so we can see about sorting you out? Ah, thank you very much. Yes, I see great cunning in you, and ambition to spare. You would do well in the house of Slytherin. Though there is a mind that is almost frightening in its strength, which means you would excel in Ravenclaw as well. Loyalty like your friend Longbottom, and courage that few have ever had to face this world after the horrible things you have experienced. Each house would do well by you and you by them. We can't place you in all of the houses though, so we have to figure out where you would do the best. Yes, I agree that your friends will need you. Therefore, we shall place you in GRYFFINDOR!"

The hat was removed from Mai's head as everyone broke out into thunderous applause, the students seated at the Gryffindor table cheering the last, with two red-headed twins actually dancing a jig. Professor McGonagall leaned down to tell Mai that after the feast, she would need to speak with her and the Headmaster to sort some things out. Mai nodded, and made her way to the spot saved for her at the Gryffindor table by Hermione, stumbling a bit while she tried to adjust to her vision being restored. She owed the phoenix a debt, and would have to think of a way to repay it.

Mai sat down heavily, and was bombarded by questions from everyone at the table. Finally, she held up her hands, getting almost instant silence from everyone.

"I know everyone has questions. I have to see the Headmaster after the feast. With that in mind, I will be up early tomorrow morning, and will answer what questions I can before breakfast, okay?"

All around the table, noises of assent were made, and everyone focused on the sorting in time to see Ronald Weasley called up. Mai was curious to see where the boy that had insulted her friend was to go, and three people at the Gryffindor table stood up to get a better view, all of them brothers to the youngest male Weasley get sorted. Soon the entire Great Hall was silent as they waited to see where the last of the new students would be sorted. Minutes ticked by as the silence soon grew heavy enough that it felt oppressive. Finally, the hat spoke up, causing several people to jump as it broke the silence.

"I guess it will be GRYFFINDOR!"

All four of the Weasley children seemed to collapse in relief at that. Cheers broke out as everyone knew what was coming with the Sorting being finished. Dumbledore stood up, tapping his glass to get everyone's attention.

"Everyone! Everyone! I must first say, welcome and congratulations to our new students. May you do your Houses, and Hogwarts, proud. Let the feast begin!"

As Dumbledore sat down, all of the tables were covered in food. In front of many students appeared dishes of their favorite foods in addition to the traditional fare of Hogwarts. Both Hermione and Neville looked at the food that appeared in front of Mai. Fried rice, teriyaki chicken, and a medium sized tray of various types of sushi. Mai began filling her plate happily, and gestured to the tray of sushi.

"Don't be afraid of it, it's delicious. Please, try some, because I cannot eat all of that. In fact, I will give a Galleon to every person that tries a piece of sushi!"

Neville and Hermione smiled at their friend, and both of them took a couple of different pieces. The other Gryffindors watched them, waiting to see how they reacted to the sushi. When both of them smiled and said it was good, several more tried it, including the Weasley twins. Soon the tray of sushi was being passed around, with people asking Mai what the different things were, and suggestions being thrown back and forth as people found things they liked. Mai laughingly began passing Galleons out to everyone that was willing to try the new food. Unfortunately, one person had to kill the good mood as he tried to get his own back from when he had, in his opinion, been humiliated by Mai.

"That's pathetic, when the food you eat is so horrible that you have to bribe people to eat it. What's the matter, English food not good enough for you? First you come here, saying you're Harry Potter to get attention, and now you're throwing money around to make friends. You obviously should have been in Slytherin."

Everyone who heard, including Fred and George Weasley, turned to look at Ron, shocked that a Gryffindor would say something like that to a house mate. Up at the staff table, Professor McGonagall had heard the comment, and stood up to address her house.

"That will be two detentions with me Mister Weasley, for insulting a housemate and calling them a liar without proof, as well as insulting another House."

Ron stared at her for a moment, sputtering incoherently before turning back to his food, muttering loudly about obvious favoritism and unfair treatment. Hermione and Neville turned to look at Mai and see how she had handled the accusations, only to find her letting out a contented sigh, her plate empty and mask still in place. She had somehow managed to eat without anyone seeing her pull her mask down. They both shrugged before going back to eating and talking with those around them, asking questions about classes and teachers. Mai joined in as well, her questions more about the school than anything else.

All too soon, dessert had been served and the tables cleared. As students began to get up and head to their House chambers, Professor McGonagall came over to get Mai. She gestured for the girl to follow her, and they left the Great Hall, headed for the Headmaster's office. As they walked, McGonagall was talking to Mai.

"I am the Gryffindor Head of House. While you are here, if you have a problem you may bring it to me. As you heard earlier, in addition to House point penalties, you can earn detentions for serious infractions. I have a feeling that Mister Weasley will blame you for the detentions he earned tonight, so I suggest you keep an eye on him. If he causes you any problems, come to me immediately. Most of my students tend to view me as an Aunt while they are here, and I encourage them to trust me. I cannot help you if you do not tell me there is a problem, always remember that. I may be strict a lot of the time, but I do my best to be fair. If you like, I will stay with you while you talk to the Headmaster."

Mai nodded a little to indicate that she would like that. A few quick moments later, they arrived at a large statue that was carved to look like a gargoyle. Professor McGonagall said something that Mai didn't quite hear, and the statue moved aside, revealing a hidden set of stairs. They went up the stairs, stopping long enough for McGonagall to knock on the door at the top of them, and gain permission to enter. They entered the room to see the Headmaster sitting behind his desk, and another professor standing beside it and glowering at the young girl. She looked at him for a moment, and then turned her attention to the Headmaster, bowing a little bit.

"You wished to see me, sir?"

* * *

I know, I'm down right evil. gotta love cliff hangers.

Now then, I am not sure as to whether or not I should continue this story. If you think I should, say so in a PM or review.

Of course, if you want to know what happened to Harry, and why he's a she now...you'll have to get me to continue the story! *devious author*

I hope you enjoyed this as much as I enjoyed writing it!


	2. Whatever Happened to Harry?

So, I couldn't get this damned story out of my head...and here's chapter two. Don't expect an update every couple of days, but perhaps I can be persuaded to update as quickly as possible on this story.

There is a flashback here, and it will continue for several chapters. This explains what happened to Harry, how he became Mai, and where he learned all the spiffy stuff he learned.

I did mention that this story was pretty much gonna destroy a lot of canon stuff, right?

Anything in {Squiggly Brackets} is Japanese.

Can anyone tell me how to do those double S thingies for when the story gets to a part that does parseltongue?

* * *

"You wished to see me, sir?"

No sooner had the last word left her mouth than she felt an attack upon her mental shields. Without thinking, she reacted as she had been taught. The illusion of her school robes vanished, leaving her in the outfit she was wearing on the train. She leaped over the desk, the sword charm in her left hand suddenly expanding into a full length katana. Her wand appeared in her right hand, aimed at Dumbledore's temple as the razor sharp blade rested against the other man's neck. Her right foot was solid on the ground; her left was barely touching it. If anyone attacked her, the hook-nosed man with a permanent sneer would bleed out on the floor.

"What is this? You ask me here, to attack me? Using Legilimancy on a child is a crime according to the British Ministry, and ICW regulations. Give me one good reason to keep from cutting this man's throat, and make it a good one, because I am leaving here."

Shock was plain on the faces of all three adults in the room, for many reasons. None of them had ever seen a child move the way she did, and nobody would ever dare to threaten Albus Dumbledore. Yet here this girl was, weapons in hand, doing just that. McGonagall was about ready to have a heart attack, and Snape was making sure not to move a hair. Dumbledore had an expression of amusement on his face, though his eyes gave away the truth as they stared at her, hard and unyielding. Finally, he spoke to try and calm things down.

"I assure you, it was unintentional. We are only trying to make sure you are who you claim to be. After all, Harry Potter was a boy, and you are not. With how famous he is, this could be a ruse for reasons unknown to us. Put down your wand and your…sword…so we can discuss this reasonably."

Mai stared hard at the old man, before grinning darkly under her mask.

"Then swear upon your magic and life that from this point forward, you will only talk to me, and no actions will be taken against me by yourself or anyone you command, and we will talk. It will take a lot to convince me to stay here. I only came because my parents attended this school, and because my father asked me to. This man can leave though, he has no purpose here. He is not my guardian, nor my head of house."

Snape began to turn red, and looked like he was about to have an apoplectic fit at the audacity of a child telling Dumbledore what to do. He began to move, ready to make a scathing comment, only to have the sword dig into his skin and draw a small trickle of blood from his neck. He froze, unable to tell if this was a bluff or not. All he knew was the blood was real, as was the very sharp blade that was drawing it. He was saved from further debate when Dumbledore nodded to the girl, and drew his wand slowly, and making an oath. Mai listened to it, then nodded before carefully moving backwards to stand in front of the desk, the sword shrinking back to the size of a charm. Her hands went down to her sides, though she kept a firm grip upon her wand. Dumbledore looked at Snape, his eyes widening when he saw the blood running down the potion master's neck.

"Severus, why don't you go see Madame Pomfrey about that cut, it looks to be somewhat serious."

Snape stormed out of the room with a snarl, his robes billowing around him, in what many would call a temper tantrum in a child. Dumbledore focused his attention on the child in front of him, analyzing what he knew about her so far. This was not the timid, fearful, and eager to please boy he had expected. In front of him was a rude and cynical girl that was very quick to act.

"What proof can you give me that you are who you say you are? After all, anyone can say they're Harry Potter, but that doesn't make it true."

Mai smirked to herself, and held up her right hand. On her index finger, an ornate platinum ring appeared, featuring a red stone that had a lion rampant upon it.

"I swear on my life and magic that I was born Harry James Potter, Her to the Ancient and Most Noble House of Potter."

There was a brief flash, yet she remained standing there, alive and well. Neither Dumbledore nor McGonagall could understand it, they had never heard of any magic that could do something like this, unless she was a metamorph. McGonagall was quick to ask that very question. Mai looked at McGonagall, and shrugged a little.

"I haven't a clue. I was never tested for that ability."

Dumbledore, however, had other things on his mind.

"Mai, could you remove your mask and headband? After all, they are not part of the uniform here, so I must insist that you stop wearing them."

He wanted to see this girl's face as they spoke, so he could tell if she was lying. It also unnerved him more than a little to see that blank cloth constantly, instead of a face. Mai snorted in response to his question.

"What you ask of me is like me asking you to remove your underwear in front of strangers. Your school charter has allowances for items of clothing that hold religious and/or spiritual significance. I have made a vow to wear this mask. However, I will show you exactly what the result of your abandoning a child on a doorstep in winter ends in."

Mai moved closer to his desk, and undid the bow tying the headband to her hair, unwinding it before folding it carefully and setting it upon the headmaster's desk. As she did so, her hair fell forward, hiding her face behind a veil of black and silver. She reached up slowly, running her fingers over her mask before pulling it down a little at a time, until it was below her chin. She straightened up, pulling her hair to the side.

Her face would perhaps have been beautiful, were it not for the scarring. Her forehead had a massive puckered depression where the lightning bolt scar had been, though that was not the worst of it. The scar that had blinded her left eye until Fawkes healed ran down her face, growing more jagged and pronounced as it reached her cheek, distorting the corner of her mouth slightly. McGonagall gasped in shock, bringing one hand to her mouth as she stared in horror. Mai was far from done though, as she removed the loose shirt from over her bodysuit, and then slid it down her arms, baring her back. She was wearing a sports top underneath the bodysuit, but it did not hide the scars that cris-crossed over her back, which she turned to show Dumbledore after McGonagall had gotten enough of a view to turn her white with horror. Once she was satisfied, Mai pulled the bodysuit back up and put her shirt on before everything was replaced with the school uniform illusion again. She stared at the Headmaster, her eyes piercing as they looked out from behind the scars. Finally, she pulled her mask back up and redid her headband.

"Did you see what you caused me, leaving me with those animals? I was an infant, and they tortured me! I was beaten for crying when I had a nightmare, or got scared by thunder and lightning. My fifth birthday, I was given the wonderful gift of being raped, beaten, whipped, and then had acid poured on my scar, and my face cut open! I woke up in a box, bound and gagged. Nobody knew that I was in there until I got to a shrine in Japan. Yet you sit there and try to dictate to me? You are as responsible for this as the pig that did it with his own hand, because you left me there and never thought to check on me! You consigned me to hell, because it was for the 'GREATER GOOD!'"

With those words, she ran from the room, tears pouring from her eyes. Professor McGonagall looked at Dumbledore, someone she would have called her best friend and claim to know better than anyone, with a tight-lipped expression. Without a word, she left his office, following after the distraught girl. She quickly caught up with what was probably the oddest child she had ever seen. She reached out, putting her hand gently on Mai's shoulder to get her attention. The girl turned, anger rising, thinking it was Dumbledore. She stopped at seeing McGonagall, whom just stood there with an unreadable expression for several moments. Finally the older woman went down to her knees and embraced Mai in a tight hug. Mai finally broke down; letting out the tears she had held in all of her life.

It took several minutes for Mai to gain control of herself, and she sat there quietly. Finally, she began to talk to Professor McGonagall, telling her about everything she could remember at the Dursleys, up to the point where she had been put in an animal crate and shipped overseas. McGonagall held up her hand to stop Mai for a moment.

"I have to ask this, but what exactly happened to you? I can understand you were horrendously injured, but you still don't go from being a boy to a girl, there just isn't any kind of magic that I have heard about that does that. Not to mention your rather impressive skills with illusion, and that sword."

Mai nodded a little, and started speaking again.

"Well, like I said, I arrived at a Japanese Shinto shrine. I was delirious from dehydration, blood loss, and my wounds had grown infected…"

(Flashback)

{Somebody get a healer out here! There's a kid in this crate, and blood is everywhere inside of it!}

Hands grabbed Harry, pulling him gently from the crate and into the blinding sunlight. He winced, which only caused the pain in his face to flare up, drawing a whimper from him. He was laid on his side, with a bundle of fabric under his head. The world was spinning, though he managed to see someone pointing a stick at him before everything went black. He woke to a brightly lit room, with people moving around him. He couldn't understand anything they were saying, but he could tell by their tone they were upset about something. He probably got blood on their furniture, which usually upset the Dursleys, and earned him another beating when he did.

A lady came up to him, and poured something in his mouth. He gagged a little at the taste, but she said something quiet and worked his throat to get him to swallow it. Blackness once again swallowed him up into oblivion.

He woke again, though it was dark this time, and nobody was around. The pain in his back had lessened, but his face still felt like it had a line of fire running down it, and his blurry vision seemed off somehow. There was a rustle of sound that he couldn't identify, and a weight settled on his chest. A white blur appeared in his vision, and a musical song came from it, lifting his spirits. He didn't know why, but it felt like he should understand it, like the noises meant something that he could almost understand. Everything grew bright again, just for a moment, and he was no longer on the soft bed that he had occupied. He could feel the ground underneath him. He could hear insects making noise all around him, and the white blob appeared in his vision again. It let out another musical trill, a warning of some sort.

The bird began to sing, a low and mournful sound. As it sang, something inside of Harry began to well up, a rush of strength and power. He felt like he could do anything; that nothing could stop him and hold him down. That feeling continued to grow, getting bigger and bigger until he began to be afraid of it. It felt like whatever it was that made him himself was being pulled out as well, drawn by the song of the bird. The song changed, becoming reassuring and light, settling his fear until it was gone. Whatever this was, he would face it with courage, even if he was dying. White light began to surround him, dim at first but growing stronger with each passing moment. He began to feel warm as the light grew brighter. It kept getting warmer, until the heat was stifling, suffocating him. It began to burn and hurt, his entire body feeling like it was on fire. He began screaming and thrashing, but the pain and the bird didn't go away.

Everything around Harry was white, blindingly so, and the pain was worse than anything he had ever experienced. He figured he was in Hell, burning for whatever sins he had committed that would cause the people he lived with to beat him the way they did. Right as the pain reached the point where it would overwhelm him, it cut off, the blinding white light vanishing. He lay there panting, eyes shut tight as he waited for it to come back. Several minutes passed, and it didn't. Finally, Harry opened his eyes slowly.

He could see, everything was clear and sharp. The details were so crisp and clean that he couldn't believe it. Never in his life could he remember seeing things this way. His earliest memory was of his Uncle kicking him into a wall for being in the way, and his head slamming into it. Since then, everything had been indistinct and blurry. But now he could see so clearly that it made him want to cry. There was a rustle beside him, and he turned quickly to see what it was.

A few feet away, there was a woman kneeling on the ground in some sort of red pants, and a white shirt with red trimming on it. Her hair was held back with a ribbon that matched the pants and trim. She bowed low, her hands on the ground in front of her head, and stayed there for several moments before sitting back up. She stood gracefully, and gestured for him to come with her. He didn't know why, his legs had been broken before he was stuffed in the crate. He tried to move a little, and stopped dead. His body didn't hurt, not at all. Carefully, he tried to stand, more than shocked when he was able to. With shaky steps, he followed the woman as she led the way through the grass and trees.

They arrived at a small building, and went inside. There were shelves with square holes in them. Some contained folded up clothes that looked like what his guide was wearing. She began to undress, and Harry turned away quickly. He had learned very early on that you did not watch people change clothes. The woman tapped on his shoulder, and gestured for him to get undressed. He looked at her in confusion for a moment, and finally began to remove his tattered and burnt clothing. He removed his pants, only to scream in fear and surprise. The thing between his legs was gone! The woman turned around quickly and upon seeing where he was looking, she chuckled just a little. She tapped his shoulder to get his attention. He turned, looking at her with a frightened expression on his face. She patted his head, saying something that he couldn't understand.

He shrugged in response, not knowing what to do or say to her. She finally shook her head, and finished undressing, wrapping a towel around herself when she was done. She handed him one, and he clumsily did the same, the soft fabric coming down past his knees. She took his clothes and again gestured for him to follow her. As they walked towards an odd white door with wood crossing it into squares, she put his clothes into what he guessed was a trash bin. With how badly they were torn up and burnt, he was not surprised at all. She slid the door open, revealing a grassy area surrounding a pool that was ringed with rocks. Several other women were in the water, and called happily over to the woman he was with. She took Harry's hand, and led him to the water, where he could see a set of steps leading into it. She began to walk in slowly, adjusting to the heat that radiated from the pool, and took a seat on a ledge that ran around the pool. Harry followed her quietly, the other women watching him curiously. As he sat down beside his guide, the others began to speak rapidly, and again he couldn't understand it.

Who is this? I do not recognize her, and nobody said anything about new visitors.

His guide smiled brightly.

{This is the boy from the box. The white phoenix took him into the woods, and gave her life to give him a new one. I know we all met a phoenix born before, but that was not from a white phoenix! Can you imagine it? This child will be a legend, and we have the chance to watch her grow. There were two feathers left at the site of the rebirthing, I have hidden them until she can take them. I can imagine the poor thing is going to have a lot to adjust to, going from being a boy that was beaten to the point of death to a girl that I, at least, will be spoiling rotten!}

The other women all quickly agreed, and the one that had found Harry smiled warmly at her. She pointed at herself, and looked into the girl's eyes.

"Ayame."

Harry looked at her for a moment, head tilted to the side, blinking. Everyone seemed to be waiting on something, so she hazarded a guess and pointed at the woman.

"Ayame?"

The woman nodded happily and smiled brightly. She pointed to each of the other women, saying their names and waiting for Harry to repeat them. Each time Harry would give the person named a peculiar look before repeating their names. All too soon, everyone was getting out of the hot spring pool, the women chattering away happily with Harry following behind them. They all went into the changing room, and Harry once again turned her back as the women removed their towels and began to dry off.

Ayame quickly ended that when she gently grabbed Harry, turning her around and removing her towel, causing the young girl to blush. She helped Harry dry off, and then dressed a girl in a set of miko robes, the traditional red hakama and the white haori with red trim. She began brushing Harry's hair, taking the time to note the silver streaks among the jet black. It was amazingly distinctive, and many would desire her for that distinctiveness alone when she got older. She tied Harry's hair back with a white ribbon, and smiled at the girl. Her smile quickly dropped into a look of absolute horror when she saw the scar on the child's forehead.

Harry tried to squirm away, but Ayame quickly picked her up, and walked out of the changing room, barely pausing to put on a pair of heavy white socks. They arrived at a building that had the, to Harry, odd white paper walls with the wooden square pattern. Ayame set Harry down, and suddenly clapped her hands three times, loudly and in a measured pattern. She bowed low, gesturing for Harry to do the same, which Harry did, albeit not as gracefully as Ayame.

After a short wait, grumbling could be heard inside the building, and the door slid open to reveal a wizened old man wearing a yukata that vibrantly displayed a beautiful sunset. He looked down at the two women, knowing the elder one, but unsure as to whom the child was, until Ayame spoke up.

{Please forgive me honored elder, but there are things that must be said and done before the night is over. I have two things of grave importance, if I may speak of them.}

The old man sighed softly, knowing the child was too young to have gotten pregnant, and wondering what it could be. The only thing that he knew was of major concern was the boy from the box, but he was with the healer for the night. He finally grunted assent to Ayame, and hoped this wasn't a fool's chase.

{Honored elder, the girl beside me is the boy from the box. The white phoenix took him and gave her life to give him a new one. She left two feathers, which I have with me, and the child is fully a girl now, though her eye is still blind. She is smart, but wary, like an animal that has been beaten throughout its life. Though that is not of much importance now. On her forehead is a scar, brought about by the foulest and most vile of magics. As we speak, it drains her magic, and stains her soul. The curse has been there some years already, and is at a critical point. If it is not removed within a week, it cannot be removed except by her true death. She is a phoenix born though, which means whatever is draining her will have a source of power for a long time, and I fear for what will happen when she goes into the flames the last time.}

The elder swore under his breath and gesture for Ayame and the girl to rise. Tonight was not a night to observe the niceties; it was the time for action. If Ayame said the curse must be dealt with, then it must. Tonight was the new moon, which was good for the rituals needed to cleanse dark magic, though the girl would be weak until the full moon came again. He moved to the side of his door, and picked up a hard mallet instead of the normal soft one used, and struck the large gong twice, letting it die down between the strikes. Harry jumped at the sound, looking at him with fear in her eyes as she could not understand what was going on.

He held up his hand, gesturing for them to wait a moment, and stepped back into his room. Quickly, he knelt down, lifting one of the tatami mats to reveal a small compartment. In it were various things, though his attention was on the pearlescent vial of potion that was tucked into a corner. It was dreadfully expensive, beyond scarily hard to make, and to a little girl that was frightened, it was something that could help save her life. He picked up the language potion, and uncorked it. He flicked his right hand, his wand appearing in it as always. He held it to his head, thinking carefully on drawing all of his memories of the languages he spoke, wanting to make this one potion as useful as possible. What he was about to give the girl would feed a small village for a year in the cost to make it, but he deemed it a worthy expenditure, especially for a child as hurt as she has been.

While he thought of languages, he thought on how complex they were, and how that tied in to his trade, wand making. Everything was so complex, for something that looked so simple at the end, much like a language. All of the rules and structure, and they made random sounds mean something. If this had been for any other witch or wizard, the straying thoughts would not mean anything. But Harry Potter is never a normal wizard, now witch. The elder drew his memories out, and placed them in the vial before swirling it around slowly, watching the liquid turn a luminous blue. He smiled happily, and went back outside. He held the vial out to Harry, and gesture for her to drink it. The girl looked at it warily, remembering the last potion she had been given. After a bit of hesitation, she finally downed the potion rapidly, shocked when it actually tasted good. She handed the vial back, bowing to the man, as everyone seemed to do around here, and stood there blinking owlishly for five seconds, before collapsing bonelessly. Ayame caught her, and looked at the old man.

{Are you sure that was wise elder? It was a long time before the shrine could afford that potion, even with you adding in money from your wand sales. We could have taught her in time.}

He smiled a little, the expression mirthless.

{Ayame, what we are about to do could strip the girl's magic from her forever, even with her being a phoenix born. With this, she will be able to understand us sooner, and can always get a job translating for those foolish tourists. It was a worthy venture, to give her that potion. Come now, everyone should be assembled. I have an idea, and if I am right, things will turn out much better for the child.}

With that, they walked to the central gathering area for spell casting and rituals. The elder was not disappointed, as every single person that was a part of the shrine was present. He gestured for Ayame to put the child on the stone altar, and held up his hands for silence.

{The boy from the box has been given a gift of great wonder. Earlier, Ayame watched as the white phoenix gave her life to save the boys. He is now fully healed, but there are three things to note. He is a girl now, the one on the altar to be precise. His eye was not cured, and a good number of the scars from her previous life remain. The third, and most distressing, is that there is a curse scar on her forehead from some of the most vile magics known. Because of her rebirth, and how long the scar has been there, draining her magic, it must be dealt with. I have an idea for that. Ren, could you call the black phoenix to us? He needs to know that his mate has passed on, and I think he will have some interest in seeing the child live.}

One of the women that had been in the onsen when Ayame brought Harry there stepped forward, and let out a hauntingly beautiful trill that seemed to bring the darkness and shadows alive for a moment. While they waited for the phoenix to come, the priests and priestesses formed three circles around the altar. Two priestesses in the center ring, seven priests in the middle, and thirteen priestesses in the outer. Ren was one of the two closest to the child, and stood at her head. She held out her arm, and the black phoenix arrived in a swirl of shadows.

The phoenix looked into Ren's eyes for several long moments, learning from her everything that had happened. It flared its wings as it nodded, agreeing to help the child. It hopped onto the altar, and all of the people surrounding it began to chant, each person starting a different mantra. Ren spoke loudly, her words measured and rhythmic.

The child must pass through the veil once more, and return. The phoenix will guide her. It begins.

After those words, Ren began her own chant, one that contrasted in rhythm with all of the others, yet seemed to draw them in. The fast pace of her words flowed among the mantras and sutras being chanted, linking all of them into one cohesive whole. Magic began to flare around each person, before slowly spreading out to connect each ring. Once the three rings were connected, they linked along the cardinal and distaff points. Runes began to glow along the ground, aligned with the barriers and flowing between them. The perimeter of the altar also began to glow with runes, until the whole area was bathed in enough light to rival the sun at noon. The three barriers suddenly expanded into spheres, completely sealing off the altar from the outside world.

The phoenix began to sing, its song dark and terrible, yet achingly beautiful at the same time. The phoenix of the shadows poured out a song that spoke of darkness, and death. It did not evoke a feeling of fear; instead it was like a comforting embrace that was welcoming, loving even. Finally, the phoenix stopped singing, and quickly plucked feather from its body, with the quill intact. It stabbed its foot, coating the quill in blood. It held its foot out, coating the girl's lips with its blood until they were stained with it, leaving them as black and dark as its plumage. As the shields built to a peak, it took the feather, and stabbed the quill into the center of the lightning bolt scar, and then moved to stand on her chest, staring at the curse wound intently.

The world seemed to still, even time itself paused for a moment, and then everything exploded. The girl arched off of the altar, screaming as energy poured from the wound, forming a smoky black cloud that hovered over her. It grew until it was the size of a basketball before two malevolent red eyes opened. They stared at the phoenix for a moment before the cloud rushed back at the girl. A barrier of flame appeared over her, blocking the spirit from gaining entry back into her body. The spirit barely stopped above the flames, and seemed to grow darker with rage. The spirit launched at the phoenix, and was caught in a sphere of flames. As the flames compressed, an inhuman scream filed the air until the sphere exploded into a shower of sparks.

Thus ended Voldemort's seventh horcrux, and his fount of power.

The barriers dropped one at a time, and everyone watched quietly, waiting to see the girl breathe. Finally, her chest began to rise and fall, and several of the miko cheered. Everyone dispersed, going back to sleep, or duties, as needed. Ayame took Harry, and carried her to the older woman's bed for the night, planning on getting Harry her own room the next day, not knowing the emotional storm that will cause.

* * *

Yay, another cliffhanger, though not as evil as the first one. Now then, I will give cool points to ANYONE that can figure out where the name of the chapter was ripped from. I will give you a hint, it's a song lyric, with one word in the line changed.

Also, the whole mask thing comes from a wonderful trilogy that I love. It is amazingly written, and really delves into how the psyche of the human can adapt and change to extreme situations. Anyone that can guess it gets cool points as well.

Don't forget to review! It's super fuel for authors!

Oh, I had to delete the chapter and re-post it because the symbols I WAS using to mark the Japanese speaking didn't show up, they vanished.


	3. Of Goblins, Friendship, and Staffs

Here's the next chapter in the story, enjoy it.

As always, I do not own anything that belongs to JK Rowling or any other copyrighted material. Everything belongs to the people that own it.

* * *

Harry awoke on a comfortable pad, covered by a decently soft blanket that was just warm enough for the weather. Her entire body ached, and she felt extremely weak. After several moments, she sat up slowly, looking around the room she was in curiously. It was rather plain, with tatami mats and three of the walls being the wooden frame with the white paper over the outside. In one corner, the woman that had helped her, Ayame, sat meditating quietly. Harry got up, folding the blanket and placing it at the foot of the bed. She looked at it for a moment, and suddenly, the name came to her. The bed was a futon, and during the day was supposed to be put outside.

Harry moved the pillow and blanket off of the pad, and picked it up, trying to be as quiet as possible. She slid the door open and stepped out of the room, hanging it over the railing beside what she guessed was Ayame's. She went back inside, putting her pillow in blanket in the corner beside the ones belonging to the older woman, and then sat beside Ayame, mimicking her pose, closing her eyes and letting her mind wander. For some reason, her thoughts were clearer and she could understand things better. What perplexed the girl was the fact that she knew words for things she had never seen, and even had basic knowledge of them, like her futon.

She knew, for example, that her clothes were hakama pants, with a haori top, and tabi socks. She could easily name the things she saw, like the shoji door, and she had put her futon on the railing of the rōka. How she knew these things, she did not know. The sudden knowledge confused her, but at the same time comforted her, helping her adjust to the major differences in lifestyle.

Ayame clapped her hands gently, breaking Harry from her reverie, and stood, gesturing for the child to follow her. They went through the fusama, down a hallway to the genkan. Ayame put on a pair of zori, setting out a pair for Harry. Once they had both put on the sandals, they left the large building that housed all of the miko and made their way to the entrance to the onsen once more. This time, they bathed quickly in the wash room before putting on clean clothes.

Upon leaving the onsen, Ayame took Harry to the entrance to the shrine, for her to properly enter it. They entered under the torii, walking along a meandering pathway. Along the way, Ayame tucked a hyakuen into the waist of Harry's hakama, saying softly it was for when they entered. The trail ended in a large clearing at the base of the shrine, with a chozubachi to the right of the stairs. Ayame led the way, taking a dipper in her right hand and pouring water over her left, then switching it to her right. Once her hands were rinsed, she poured some water into her left hand, tipping it into her mouth and then spitting it to the side of the chozubachi. Harry followed her actions, mimicking the fluid grace the older woman performed the ritual with.

Once they were done, Ayame went up the stairs, dropping a hyakuen into the offering box. Harry did the same with the one she had been given before walking up the stairs behind Ayame. At the top, Ayame stopped, ringing the bell firmly, letting the tone die down some before ringing it a second time. She stepped to the side, bowing twice before clapping two times. She stood there with her hands pressed together and head bowed quietly as Harry followed the ritual as well.

They both stood there quietly for several minutes, the soft murmur of the visitors to the shrine and the ringing of the bell creating a hypnotic effect for the two. Finally, they bowed one last time and went back down the stairs, Ayame leading the way around the shrine to another pathway that led further into the complex. Harry was contemplating what she had seen so far, and actually liked it. The ritualized actions gave her a sense of comfort and peace that she had never experienced before, and seemed to melt away her worries and concerns. After a time walking that Harry couldn't really measure, they came to another building, one obviously not open to visitors. At the entrance stood an older man, whom they both bowed to respectfully, which he returned with a light one.

{Good morning Ayame. I understand we have a new miko joining us to learn her magic, and that she was blessed by the white phoenix, is this correct?}

Ayame bowed her head before speaking softly but firmly.

{Yes, this is Harry, though I imagine we will seek a new name for her to suit her change in life. She has been blessed by the white phoenix, and touched by the black. I bring her here to see the four thousand treasures, and to see if one calls to her, if that is acceptable.}

The man looked to Harry, whom bowed her head, but not before he got a glimpse of her black lips and the two scars on her face. He smiled and nodded, stepping to the side and gesturing for them to enter the building.

{Be welcome to the treasure hall of the Atsuta shrine, and may you always find peace within our walls.}

Both women bowed again before Ayame led the way inside the Bunkaden, closing the door silently behind them. Ayame began to speak as they walked, pointing out the items that were spread out on stone tables and pedestals. They stopped at the far end to pay their respects to an ancient sword that was known as the Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi, paying respect to the sword of the eight headed serpent. Harry felt a slight pull to the venerated weapon, and looked to Ayame for permission.

Ayame nodded a little, and Harry reached out, touching the hilt with her fingertips. She remained silent for a while before pulling her hand back and shaking her head a little.

{Something is telling me maybe, but not yet. What exactly are we doing here, and looking for?}

Ayame nodded again, and began walking, leading the way among the tables, explaining to Harry that each person that came to the shrine was given a chance to see if one of the items here spoke to them. If it did, they would take it, returning it when the item no longer responded to them, or they died. She also explained the basics of magic and that Harry would be learning to use it here. All of this was beginning to overwhelm the child, though a very welcome distraction came in finding an item that called to her.

On one of the tables was a bracelet with a small sword charm on it. The chain was simple, more utilitarian than anything else. What was odd about it was the fact that it had no clasp, and was too small to fit over someone's hand. Harry reached out hesitantly, and touched it gently. There was a bright flash of light, and the bracelet vanished from the table, appearing wrapped around Harry's left wrist. She looked at it curiously examining it to see how it had gotten there. As she examined the odd charm, she felt a sudden surge of energy wash through her. Everything felt so right at once, like things were perfect in the world now, and it stunned her. There was a sudden pause, as if she had run into something, and then her world was once again consumed by pain.

Harry felt as if she was being crushed on all sides, pressed in by something that was incredibly heavy and immense. Her world narrowed down to a pinprick of light that was surrounded by darkness. She was panting heavily, trying to fight through the pain, when the light vanished, and the darkness swallowed her once again.

Harry woke up slowly, trying to figure out the odd sensations she felt. Her head was laying on something that was soft, but she could feel hardness underneath, like she was lying on a small pillow that was on top of concrete or steel. There was something warm draped over the side of her body, and the final thing was the odd sensation from her hair. All of it gave her a sense of calm and peace, with a slight tinge of happiness that she couldn't figure out. As she continued to wake up, she could hear voices talking above her.

{-and I don't care if you are the chief priest of the shrine. The white phoenix chose her, and the dragon blade as well. This child is now one of ours, and will learn our way. We must take her to the goblin bank, and learn who she is, and where she came from. Once we know that, we can hunt down the animals that would dare to do such horrible things to a child, and seek justice. You know the phoenix would never choose someone that was not strong of heart and good of soul, so why do you fight this? She may not be of our blood, but that makes her a daughter of the shrine more than anything else in the world. You saw the box she came in, the label was written for some place in Kyoto, but magic saw fit to change that, and deliver her here. Her magic was bound so that it would never mature, and done by an Archmage. There are six in the entire world of that power, and only one near to where she came from. How many times has that fool tried to force his way in here, to learn our secrets, even to the point of using dark spells to try and control people here? No child should ever have their magic bound like that, she would have died before she reached her majority.}

Harry flinched a little as a strong male voice spoke to the woman that defended her, the same one that had been caring for her.

{I know what you want, but we have never taken in an outsider before and trained them like you propose. Though, if you feel this strongly, we will first take her to the goblins to find her name, and then we shall present her to the masters. If they accept her, then she may train here. If not, then she will go to another school, like almost all of the magical children here. I admit, I can feel her power, and know she has great potential. That potential though does not make her able to cope with the training here, and you know it. Out of all of the humans that come here, how many have been accepted by the masters, let alone survived the training? Wake her, and we shall go now, so that we may return before the day is done.}

Ayame nodded, and shook Harry's shoulder gently, already knowing the child was awake. She had felt it when Harry had tensed for a moment. Subtle, but it was still there for any that knew what to watch for. Harry sat up, and stood quickly as the two adults did so, not wanting to anger them. Unsure of herself, she bowed a little to the man, trying to be respectful enough to keep from being beaten like she was used to. Ayame looked down to the child, and smiled softly.

{What is your name, little one? We are going to see if you have any family, or at least where you came from, if we can.}

The girl looked down, obviously afraid.

{M-my name is Freak. It is what I have been called all of my life by my aunt and uncle. Please do not send me back to them, I promise that I will be good. I don't eat a lot, and I can do chores if you will let me stay here. Anything to not go back to them, no matter how hard it is, I will do it.}

Both Ayame and the chief priest were shocked at what Harry said her name was, and their expressions hardened. This would have to be dealt with, and sooner rather than later. Ayame gestured for Harry to follow them as they began to walk through the shrine, once more taking a pathway that was obviously not meant for casual visitors. As they walked, Ayame glanced down at Harry, smiling softly as she knelt down to look the child in the eye.

{That will never be your name again. How about this: For now, I will simply call you Musume, which means daughter. When we get back, I will help you find a name you like, if you don't take your birth name, okay? You are not a freak in any way. You are a wonderful little girl whom I think shows great promise for the future. If you wish, you may stay with me, and I will take care of you like you were my own daughter, or we can let you have a room of your own. No matter what, I promise to you that nobody at the shrine will ever strike you in anger while you live there. What do you think?}

Harry went perfectly still, a wide array of emotions going across her scarred face. Fear was the most common, but hope was there too. Nobody had ever cared enough to be nice to her, her aunt and uncle had managed to make sure everyone thought she was scum, worthless and never to be cared for. Now there was this woman, whom had been helping her with everything, and wanted to call her daughter, even if only temporarily. Tears began to run down her face as the wall that held everything back began to crack and crumble.

{Do, do you really mean it? You want me, even though I am a worthless freak that can't do anything right?}

Ayame's heart broke a little at seeing how emotionally damaged this child was. All she could ever remember was hatred, scorn, and disdain. She silently swore to herself that no matter what, this child would know that she was loved by someone. At that moment, she didn't see someone that had been reborn by the white phoenix, or already held enough magical power to shame most adults. All that she saw was a heartbroken and scared little girl, a girl that needed someone to hold her and tell her that it would all be okay. She pulled Harry into a tight hug, her arms holding the child close to her.

{Yes, I mean it. My husband also agrees with me. You have gone through so much, and been treated so horribly. No child deserves that. From now on, you will be my daughter. I will always be there for you, and I swear you will know love for the rest of my days. Together, we will show you what a real family is supposed to be. You will always have a home here, no matter what happens, okay?}

Her words destroyed the last of the barrier holding back Harry's emotions, and the child began to sob loudly. Someone cared for her. She was no longer alone, because someone wanted her in their life. She now had a mother, and maybe even a father. Years of pent up sadness and loneliness were released through her tears as her body shook from the emotions she felt.

As Harry cried, magic stirred around the two women. The magic of the shrine had felt the offer made and accepted, and it opened to accept the child. Ancient spells settled around Harry, linking her to the shrine, grounding her magic and linking it to the massive wells of power that were stored within. No matter how far away, Harry could now return to the shrine in an instant, brought there by protective spells that were as old as the people of Japan.

Finally, Harry quieted down and finished crying out the pain from years of abuse. She was not instantly better, recovering from something like that would take years, and she would carry the scars on her psyche and soul for the rest of the life. The first step in healing had been taken though, and she pulled back a little to give Ayame a small smile, the first expression of happiness she had worn since being abandoned to the Dursleys like unwanted trash. Ayame smiled back as she quickly cleaned Harry's face before standing up.

{Come Musume, we have some things that need doing today. The first is going to the bank back where you came from. The goblins will be able to tell us the name you were born under, and how you came to be in the care of those filthy animals that dare call you family. From there, we will decide what else we are going to do. Once we are done there, we are going to come back home, and introduce you to your new father, okay?}

Harry nodded and followed Ayame as they went deeper into the shrine, and into a small building that was hidden among the trees. Inside the building was bare, no furniture or fixtures aside from a pile of random junk that was in the corner. Ayame spoke softly to the man that was in there, whom nodded after a minute and picked up a piece of fabric. He drew his wand, murmuring a soft spell and tapping the fabric with his wand, causing it to glow with a blue light before going back to its normal appearance. Ayame took the fabric with a small bow, and took Harry's hand, placing it on the portkey.

{We are going to take a magical method of travel, called a portkey. When I activate it, you will feel a tug on your body, and then everything around us will spin for several seconds. When the spell is completed, we will be in the goblin bank, known as Gringotts, in England. There are a few very important things you must know. No matter what, do not go with any of the witches or wizards there. If any grab you, scream as loudly as you can that you do not want to go anywhere with them. If I am out of your sight for any amount of time, do not do anything I say to you unless it is in Japanese, and I call you Musume. If I tell you to go somewhere in English that is not me, but someone pretending to be me. Also, people will stare at you. Your scars and eye will attract their attention, and the people there do not have very good manners. Our clothes will also draw their attention, because they are different. Just ignore them all, and stay close to me, okay?}

Harry nodded and clutched the fabric tighter. Ayame wrapped her arms around Harry, and spoke the word to activate the portkey. As promised, Harry felt a sharp tug right behind her navel, and everything spun around her. She felt as if she were flying through the air, buffeted on all sides by the wind, and began to laugh loudly, enjoying the wild and chaotic ride. This continued almost for an entire minute before they both landed in a roped off corner of the goblin bank, their feet hitting the ground with a solid impact that shook their bodies. Ayame took the fabric portkey and tucked it into her obi so that it wouldn't get lost and grasped Harry's hand before leading her into the queue for a teller.

As promised, people were staring at the two foreigners. Some were simply curious, and others had looks of scorn, distaste, and/or loathing on their faces. Harry kept her face neutral as she looked around, determined to not let the expressions of the people around them bother her. Several minutes passed before they reached the counter, and were greeted by a surly goblin.

"What is it you want?"

Ayame bowed politely to the goblin, showing respect to a being that almost all in England viewed as beneath them and worthy of contempt. As she straightened, she smiled a little.

"Greetings master goblin, may your enemies fall beneath your blade and their gold fill your coffers. This child with me is from England. The people she lived with abused her horribly, and then shipped her to us in a crate to the shrine I live at. Unfortunately, she does not know her name, or anything of her true family. I would like to have an Inheritance Ritual done, so that we can be sure of her history, any unusual talents she may have so that we can care for her properly, and then file to declare her my daughter."

The goblin blinked in surprise, obviously unused to being treated with respect by anyone. He looked at the two in front of him, and suddenly recognized their clothing. They were from Japan, one of the very few countries to treat goblins with respect and courtesy. He nodded his head a little.

"Well met madam, and may your wealth always grow. I am sure you know of the fee for what you wish, so I will call for someone to take you to a private room."

The goblin rang a small bell, summoning another. He spoke rapidly in the goblin tongue, giving directions quickly. Harry listened quietly, shock going through her as she realized that she understood what they were saying. The messenger turned to them with a bow, and gestured for them to follow him. They were led to a private room far from the lobby that was well done in a tasteful luxury. The messenger bowed again before leaving them, a tray with tea and several types of snack food appearing on the table as the door closed.

Back in the lobby, an older witch with a strong but stern looking face watched them leave, her monocle glinting as it reflected the light within the massive room. She had heard everything the woman said, and decided to wait for them to come out so she could speak to them. As the head of the department of magical law enforcement, she was responsible for bringing people to justice for the crimes they commit, and from the scars on the child's face it was obvious that justice needed to be done. She quickly did her business with the teller before taking a seat on a bench, waiting patiently for the two to show back up.

In the private room, Ayame and Harry were sipping quietly at their cups of tea. Harry was smiling a little, enjoying the lightly flavored floral tea. Ayame was also pleased, knowing that getting jasmine tea in England was a very rare thing. Their contemplations of the drink were soon cut short by the arrival of several goblins carrying an array of objects. They quickly assembled everything at one end of the table before all but one of the goblins vanished. Ayame bowed and exchanged greetings with the goblin before turning to Harry and gesturing for her to go over to the end of the table where everything was set up. Harry did so, and bowed to the goblin as well.

"Greetings master goblin, and thank you for your assistance in this matter. Would you please instruct me in what I need to do?"

The goblin smiled a little, pleased with the actions of the two so far, and decided that he was going to give them a small discount on the cost of what they were doing. He picked up a small dagger, and gestured to Harry's left hand.

"All you need to do is hold out your left hand. I will prick your finger with this knife, and draw a small amount of blood. I will add that to the potion in the cauldron, and then use a special quill dipped in the potion that will tell us your heritage, and any special talents you may hold."

Harry nodded a little and held out her left hand, wincing a little as the goblin cut her middle finger with the knife. He grabbed a small vial, holding it to catch several drops of blood. Once he had enough, he made a gesture with his free hand to seal the wound. Harry gasped as her cut healed, amazed at the casual use of magic. The goblin poured the blood from the vial into the cauldron and then vanished the vial. He picked up a large copper quill that shimmered with magic. He dipped the quill into the cauldron, keeping it there until it absorbed the entire potion into itself. The quill flew from his hand to the parchment scroll, and began to quickly write in flowing script.

Harry James Potter

Born: 31 July 1980

Father: James Charlus Potter

Mother: Lilly Celeste Potter nee Evans

Inheritances (magical):

Ancient and Noble House of Potter (Paternal)

Ancient and Noble House of Peverell (Paternal)

Ancient and Noble House of Gryffindor (Paternal)

Ancient and Noble House of Ravenclaw (Maternal)

Ancient and Noble House of Slytherin (Conquest)

Ancient and Noble House of Emrys (Maternal)

Ancient and Noble House of Black (Paternal/Named Heir of current Head)

Inheritances (Non-magical):

None

Abilities:

Phoenix Magic

Animagus (Dormant)

Parseltongue

Warder

Metamorphagus

Magic Level:

Current-Archmage

Potential-Unknown

Everyone stared at the parchment, focusing on different things. Harry was staring at her name, and the names of her parents. The goblin was staring at the inheritance section, and Ayame was staring at the abilities listed. Silence reined the room for several long minutes before the goblin bowed and vanished everything but the parchment.

"I will take my leave now. Someone will be here in a moment to discuss everything with you. Have a good day."

With those words, the goblin literally fled the room, knowing that this was way above his level of authority. Ayame and Harry did not have to wait long, as several goblins entered the room, kneeling by the door. After the goblins were all kneeling, another entered, wearing much finer garments than the rest. He was powerfully built, and walked with a stride of power and authority. Ayame bowed low, gesturing for Harry to do the same. They stayed that way until the goblin sat down and spoke.

"You do me great honor. Please rise and be seated. I am Ragnok, director of Gringotts and leader of the goblin nation. I think we have much to discuss, and we should all be comfortable."

Ayame and Harry stood straight before taking their seats, followed by the group of goblins. Once everyone was seated, several messengers brought in seven massive tomes, followed by seven small boxes and one long and narrow box. Everything was arranged in front of the Director, and all but one of the messengers bowed out of the room. The last one spoke softly to Ragnok, receiving a nod and command before leaving the room.

The messenger went out into the lobby, headed straight for Amelia Bones, whom was still seated on the bench, waiting for the two women.

"Madam Bones, your presence is requested for a private conference in your capacity as head of the DMLE. Please follow me."

Amelia stood and followed the goblin, curious as to why her presence was requested. Gringotts was sovereign land, ruled by the goblins. This meant that she was never needed before now in her official role. Soon enough, she was led to the room where Ayame and Harry were, and told to proceed inside. She opened the door and stepped through, only to go still in shock. The two people she had been waiting for were there, along with several goblins. What had her in shock though was the presence of Director Ragnok. She bowed respectfully to him as she tried to figure out why she is here.

"Director Ragnok, I am honored that you have called for me. Please tell me how I might be of assistance to the most esteemed leader of the goblin people."

Ragnok smiled a little, heartened by the respect shown by Amelia. The last person that had held her office would never have shown any goblin the tiniest respect, often calling them worthless beasts and berating them for anything he could think of. This was a good sign for what was going to take place today. He gestured for her to be seated, and looked at the three humans.

"I have asked Madam Bones here because you spoke of the child being abused by those that she was living with. My people loathe those that would put a child in harm's way, much less those that do direct harm to them. Madam Bones is the Director of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. She is here to take your testimony as to what has happened to cause a child born male to be present today as a female. I am here because the Inheritance Ritual shows that the child is in a position to hold a great amount of wealth and power among the magical world. This includes being the sole heir to several family lines that were thought lost or died out over time, and some that represent a massive portion of the wealth of our world. We must proceed with caution. If we do not, it could lead to dire consequences that would span the globe and even affect the muggle economies.

"Madam Bones, I would ask that you swear a witch's oath that you will not reveal anything said in this room, except as needed to complete your duties in prosecuting those that have harmed the child, or as needed for the child's welfare."

Amelia nodded and drew her wand, swearing on her magic and life to the terms given by the Director. Once that was done, Ragnok opened one of the tomes in front of him, and looked at Ayame and Harry.

"First, I would offer my condolences to you, for the loss of your parents, and what you have gone through. When your parents died, their will was sealed on the orders of Albus Dumbledore in his capacity as the Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot. He would not say where you had been placed, only that you were safe.

"Since you are the only surviving descendent of the main line of the Potter family, you may view their wills once you take the mantle of Head of the Ancient and Noble House of Potter. Getting them unsealed and executed will present a problem though. If you wish, you may take the actions directed in the will, including any bequeathments. I will tell you now that the Potter family vaults collectively hold eight percent of the entire wealth of the magical world. They also hold a very large amount of money in the muggle world, thanks to a series of wise investments that have yielded amazing returns. The last several generations of Potters have all had keen business minds, and put them to good use. However, before we can go into any details, we must see if the family ring accepts you as the Head of the family."

One of the goblins picked up the first of the small boxes, and opened it up before setting it in front of Harry. Inside the box was a beautiful gold ring that was best described as massive. The ring held a two carat ruby that held the crest of the Potter family in it, the symbol hovering in the center of the stone. Harry hesitantly picked up the ring, looking at it for several long moments. This ring had been her fathers, and was a direct link to her ancestors. She finally tried to put it on the ring finger of her right hand, only to have it tug and slip onto the index finger of her right hand. Once the ring was on her, it shrank down to fit, the band shifting from a thick band to a more delicate and ornate style suitable for a female. She looked up at Ragnok hesitantly, and smiled a little as the goblin nodded to her.

"The ring has many magics embedded in it, and will choose where it is to go. Congratulations on becoming the Head of the Ancient and Noble House of Potter; may your enemies fall before you and your vaults flow with gold. Now then, the Potter family has several vaults in our deepest caves. Since you were accepted as the Head of the family, your trust vault has been deactivated and the gold put into the main Potter vault. Regarding your former trust vault, there have been a series of questionable withdrawals from it since the night of your parents' death."

Ragnok drew out several pages, sliding them over for the humans to look at. Ayame took them first, looking at the amounts withdrawn and the listed reasons. She quickly grew angry as she realized that every month for a year someone was taking the maximum amount allowed out. A portion was converted to English Pounds, and the rest deposited in a vault owned by the "Order of the Phoenix." Without a word, she handed them to Amelia to read, then looked down to Harry.

"I do not think you will understand what the numbers mean, but someone has been stealing from you. They were your guardian apparently, but they were taking one hundred thousand thousand Galleons a month out, and putting ninety nine thousand five hundred in another vault."

Ayame turned to Ragnok.

"Director, who was my daughter's guardian after her parents passed away?"

Ragnok smiled darkly, knowing that things were going to get very rough for a certain wizard soon.

"Albus Dumbledore had himself declared her guardian when he sealed her parents' wills. I am guessing that the money he was giving the money he converted to the people he had Harry living with. Five hundred Galleons converts to just under two thousand pounds at the current exchange rate."

Amelia was examining the records carefully, growing even angrier than Ayame did. Dumbledore had stolen over a million Galleons from Harry, and given just over twenty four thousand pounds to the people that had abused him, now her. As anyone that knew her could attest, Amelia Bones hated anyone that harmed a child willfully in any way. She silently swore to herself that she would see justice done, no matter what it took. She looked up as Ragnok cleared his throat.

"Director Bones, if you can bring charges up on Albus Dumbledore, we can recover the funds from the vaults he controls. There is also the matter of a betrothal contract that he signed as Harry's guardian. Fortunately for Miss Potter, the Potter family laws do not allow for any contracts to be enacted that are signed by a guardian that is not a Potter. The contract must still be properly nullified now though, since Harry has taken the position as Head of the family."

He withdrew several more pages, separating them out into three stacks. One was handed to each of the three humans; Harry's having an extra page on the bottom. Harry tried to read the contract, but could not make sense of all the legal terms that were there. Ayame was perplexed by several of the clauses, not understanding what they meant since she was unfamiliar with the British laws and practices. Amelia had no problems understanding anything, and she soon gave a wordless yell of rage followed by a rather impressive rant.

"That conniving wrinkly old fool! This contract is the most loathsome thing I have ever seen!"

Amelia turned to Ayame, and saw her look of confusion. She decided to explain the contract to the other woman.

"Basically, the contract states that Harry must marry a girl named Ginerva Weasley. The Weasley family owes fealty to Dumbledore. That means that he can vote their seats on the Wizengamot as he sees fit, sign marriage contracts, and control the family's money. He can decide everything for them, including where they all work, and whom they marry. Further in this contract, it states that once Harry marries Ginerva, the Potters owe fealty to the Weasleys, and through extension, Dumbledore. He would gain instant access to everything Harry owns, and could do whatever he wanted with it, and Harry could not object. What is really disturbing is that this is worded so that everything is permanent, the potters would lose everything for all time.

"Another disgusting thing is that the contract allows for the use of love potions and compulsions to ensure that Harry follows through, no matter her wishes and desires."

Amelia quickly looked through Harry's copy, and scanned the last page before nodding. She picked up a quill, and held it out to Harry.

"This last page is a confirmation of annulment of this marriage contract. When you sign this, the contract becomes void, and can never be acted upon. To do so would open up Dumbledore and anyone helping him to several charges, including attempted Line Theft of an Ancient and Noble House, fraud, illegal compulsions, the list goes on. You have to sign this now, otherwise the contract will become binding, because you did not annul it within the proper time frame of attaining your status as Head of the family."

Harry nodded mutely, not really understanding anything that was going on. She looked to Ayame, whom nodded and gestured for her to sign the annulment. Holding the quill carefully, Harry signed her name in a barely legible scrawl. As soon as she was done, the annulment page glowed a bright gold, and the marriage contract a bright blue, for several seconds before dying down. One of the goblins came and took Harry's copy off the marriage contract and the annulment she had just signed, bringing them to Director Ragnok to be filed in the Potter ledger. Ragnok nodded his head to the goblin.

"Now then, we are not required to notify the other parties until such time as the contract becomes eligible for enforcement, so we will simply hang onto everything until the right time. Director Bones, I also think we should hold off on the abuse charges and everything that goes with them, and present everything at once, as several smaller cases in one hearing of the Wizengamot. This will also allow us to find out exactly who in the Weasley family is involved with the contract, and we can consider what to do with them at that time.

"Let us move on to other matters. The first is that you are named the heir of the Ancient and Noble House of Black. The current head of the family is currently in Azkaban on a life sentence. That means that until he dies, you will only have limited access to the vaults and properties of the family, as well as the funds. I do not think it matters too much, considering the fortune you already control in the Potter vaults. You should put on the ring though, because it offers certain protections to you, as do all of the rings for the families you are descended from."

At those words, one of the goblins picked up the box containing the ring for the Heir of the Black family, and set it in front of Harry. She picked it up, and attempted to put it on the ring finger of her right hand. Once again, the ring chose to go onto her index finger. Once it touched the Potter ring, it melded with it. The new ring took on the appearance of the Black ring, a simple silver band with a small emerald in the center that held the black crest floating in the center of the gem. Harry looked at it for a moment, trying to figure out where the Potter ring had gone. As soon as she thought of the Potter ring, the Black ring morphed into it. She grinned widely at this.

"That is so cool."

Ragnok chuckled softly at the child's obvious fascination with the magic of the rings.

"Each of the rings for Ancient and Noble houses is crafted by goblins. They are made so that if one person is the heir of more than one line, all of the rings will merge into one. That ring will take on the appearance of whichever one you wish to display. When you have children of your own, and wish to pass a certain line onto them, you just grasp the ring, thinking of the one you want to remove, and pull. The ring you select will come off and you can pass it to the Heir for that line. You can also hide the ring by thinking off it turning invisible. That is the most common thing to do, since you do not want people to attack you in an attempt to steal the ring. I will also say that none of the rings can be removed except by you, and only if you are truly willing. If someone has a weapon pointed at you and tells you to take the ring off, it will not allow itself to be removed. If you ever do take off the ring, and it is stolen or lost, just think of the ring being lost, and it will appear back here in Gringotts. I will warn you, there is a twenty Galleon fee for this, though it really doesn't matter to you.

"The next ring is the one for the Ancient and Noble House of Peverell. Their vaults do not contain much gold, but they do hold a large amount of books and random artifacts. Nobody has tried to claim the family line for centuries, so I am sure the things in their vaults make up for the low amount of gold with what they are worth now."

Again, Harry was handed a box containing a ring. This one was white and yellow gold with an amethyst gem in the center. She put it on the same finger as the others, and watched it blend into the Potter ring. She looked back up to Ragnok, waiting for whatever was next.

"The next ring is for the House of Gryffindor. Their vaults also do not contain much gold; instead their wealth is in books and artifacts. The House of Gryffindor also owns a quarter of Hogwarts, the premier magic school for humans in England. However, you cannot exercise your rights to control anything with the school until you attend it. If you do not, you will forfeit those rights. If you forfeit your rights, then any children you have can claim them by attending the school."

Harry nodded at that, and took the ring that was handed to her, once more watching as it blended in with the one she was wearing. Two more rings were placed in front of her as Ragnok spoke.

"These two rings are for Ravenclaw and Slytherin. Each is the same as Gryffindor. This means that if you attend Hogwarts, you will have a clear majority in control of the school, at seventy five percent."

Harry nodded, and quickly put the rings on as she began to grow tired of being in the office and bored. She was, after all, still a young child. The final box was placed in front of her, and Ragnok spoke with a very serious tone.

"This last ring is one of major significance. The house of Emrys has not been claimed in over eight hundred years. Their vaults have several directives placed on them that cannot be changed. The house of Emrys was founded by a wizard that is known across the world. His name was Merlin. Throughout the years, his descendants have been focused on healing, and helping others. Every year, the vaults automatically deposit five hundred thousand Galleons to St. Mungos, the largest wizarding hospital in England. They also fund almost all of the muggleborn students that attend Hogwarts. If you put on that ring, there are some things you have to do. You will be required to attend Hogwarts; it no longer becomes an option for you. After Hogwarts, you will be required to train and attain the rank of Apprentice Healer. If you do not, your magic will be forfeit, and your family can never claim the Emrys titles.

"There is also one more condition. To claim the title as the Head of the House of Emrys, the staff of Myrddin must accept you. If it doesn't, then your children can try to claim the position. In order to attempt to claim the position as the Head of the House of Emrys, you first put the ring on, and then pick up the staff. The staff will test your magic and mind. I do not know exactly how, just that it will."

Harry looked at the ring and the staff as they were placed in front of her. She looked to Ayame, waiting for her opinion. Ayame nodded a little for Harry to try and see. Harry looked at the ring and staff with a bit of trepidation. Finally, she took a deep breath, calming herself before picking up the ring. She put it on her right index finger until it clicked against her other ring. She picked up the staff, and looked it over.

The staff of Myrddin, whom was known as Merlin in modern days, was elegance in simplicity. The main body was white ash, which had been hand smoothed and polished until it nearly glowed with reflected light. The bottom had a striker cap made of polished copper that merged into the wood seamlessly. All along the body, the grain of the wood seemed to draw the eye towards the crystal finial on top of the staff. The wood seemed to grow up and around a massive amethyst crystal. Harry reached up and stroked the tendrils of wood that held the rich purple crystal firmly in place. As her finger brushed the smooth crystal, light flared from within it, blinding Harry for a moment and causing her to close her eyes in reflex. When Harry opened her eyes and looked around, she was confused.

She was in an endless field of purple, the same shade as the stone in the staff. Up down, all directions were featureless and purple. She continued to look around, trying to find a way back to the conference room and her mother. She jumped and screamed when a voice spoke up behind her suddenly. She turned around, and stared at the man that had appeared out of nowhere. He was tall, standing about six feet tall, and had a lean but still muscular build. He smiled kindly at her.

"Hello child. I apologize for startling you, that was not my intention. You seem awfully young to be here to test for the right to claim the position of Head of my family. Is the house of Emrys really that far gone that a child must test to lead them?"

Harry bowed low as she realized who this was. Power seemed to roll off of him, and he stood there with an easy confidence that only comes to those with amazing strength and experience.

"I am the last of several lines, Emrys being one of them. I do not really know what is going on honestly, I was just told by Director Ragnok and my new mother to put on the ring and hold the staff, so that I could take your test. I don't even understand all of this magic stuff, but it is cool so far."

Myrddin smiled at her and sat down, crossing his legs. He gestured in front of himself.

"Sit with me please, tell me about yourself. If you would, first tell me how you got the scars on your face and lost sight in one eye."

Harry nodded a little and sat down in front of the man. In front of her was a wizard so well-known even non magical people had legends of him. She remembered the teacher in her preschool talking about the legend of Merlin, the greatest wizard ever known. As he asked about her scars and her eye, she looked down.

"My uncle….he was mad at me. Aunt Petunia had cut my hair, the next day it was back to the length it was before she cut it. He kept yelling at me to fix it back to how my Aunt had cut it. I couldn't do it, I don't even know how it had grown back, it just did. He was yelling louder and louder at me, and then he grabbed a kitchen knife in one hand, and my arm in the other. He was screaming at me, so loudly that my Aunt was yelling at him that the neighbors were going to hear him. I tried to get away, and he jerked my arm to get me to stop. The knife was too close, and it cut deep into me. It felt like a line of fire went down my face, and my vision got funny. He got so mad at me, said it was my fault that it had happened. I started crying because it hurt so much. He suddenly said that if I was going to cry like a girl, he was going to make me one, and treat me like one. He put the knife between my legs, and cut it off. He was laughing at me.

"He said that girls don't deserve cool scars, and got something out from under the sink. He poured it all over my face. It burned and hurt, but the worst was the eye he had cut."

Tears ran down Harry's face as she recounted the horrors that had been visited upon her.

"He was laughing at me, calling me a worthless little freak bitch. Everything hurt, but it hurt the worst when he pulled my pants down…and….and he…"

Harry broke down for the second time that day, her body jerking with each sob. Myrddin reached out and pulled the child into his lap, rocking her gently. He was beyond horrified at what had happened to the child. What kind of monster would do that to a child, especially one that was family? He shook his head, all too familiar to situations like this. Even in his time, non-magical people would do the most horrendous things to children with magic. He kept up rocking the child, until she stopped crying. Once she was calm again, he asked her two more questions.

"I have two more questions. What happened to actually make you a girl, and why are your lips black?"

Harry sniffled a little before speaking.

"I was stuffed in a crate, and ended up at a shrine. I woke up once, and was given something that tasted bad. The next time I woke up, I was in the woods, with a white blob on top of me, I think it was a bird of some sort. It was singing, and then everything was covered in white flames. I passed out when the pain got too much. When I woke up again, I was taken to an altar, and a black bird like the white one put its blood on my lips, and then stabbed a blood soaked feather where my scar was on my forehead. Apparently there was something evil there."

Myrddin was in shock at hearing that. He was holding someone that was a legend to him in his lap and comforting them, yet she thought he was the legend? It was amusing, how strange the world was. He made his decision finally. If the child answered his next question properly, he would help her, as much as he could trapped in the staff.

"Okay, I have one last question for you. If you were given the people that hurt you and allowed to decide their punishment, what would you do?"

Harry thought about it for a minute. What would she do in that situation? Finally, she spoke up.

"I would make them help in a hospital, taking care of people that had been hurt like I was. That way they can at least make the lives of other people that have been hurt better."

Myrddin smiled a little. This was a child after his own heart. Even after all of the atrocities she had been put through, she still wanted to help people. Her answer had made his decision easy.

"Then I am proud to say you are the new Head of the Ancient and Noble House of Emrys. I will send you back now, and my staff will disappear for now. When you are ready for it, my staff will appear and I will help you again. Okay?"

Harry nodded before standing up. She smiled at Myrddin happily.

"I look forward to seeing you then, Grandpa Myrddin."

With a chuckle, he sent Harry back to the meeting, where no time at all had passed. She looked around at everyone, and smiled happily. As Harry smiled, the staff simply vanished, and the ring of the House of Emrys merged into her other one. Ragnok looked at her questioningly, and she nodded her head happily.

"I met Grandpa Myrddin. He asked me a bunch of questions, and then said he was proud to name me the next Head of the family. He also said the staff would go away until I was ready for it, and that he would help me when I needed it again."

Ragnok nodded at her words, not really surprised. Odd things happened around magic. He turned to one of the assistant goblins, and gave him a few quick commands. The goblin ran off, coming back after a few minutes with a shimmering black wallet, and a black velvet bag. Each had the crest of House Potter on them. Ragnok took them from the goblin, and gestured for Harry to come over. She did so, and looked at the leader of the goblin nation with curiosity. Ragnok smiled, thinking that this could be the first step in improving relations between the humans and goblins. He gestured to the two items.

"These are very special items. We have just finished making them, and you are getting the only ones that will be released to humans for a few years. The wallet will provide you with any muggle money you ask for, no matter if you ask for English pounds, United States dollars, Japanese Yen, it will provide them and the amount required will be deducted from your vaults. The bag works the same way, but for Galleons, Sickles, and Knuts. To activate them and bind them so only you can use them, we will need to put three drops of your blood on the crest on each one."

Harry's eyes widened in amazement at the description of the two items. Magic could do some pretty cool things. She held out her hand for Ragnok to draw the blood. Ragnok took a needle, and pricked the tip of Harry's finger. He took her hand, holding it and gently working her finger to drip three drops of blood on the two crests. As the required blood fell on each of the crests, they seemed to come to life, going from the single color of metal to the full color rendition of the crest of House Potter. Ragnok too them, and handed the wallet and pouch to Harry.

"If anyone but you tries to use these, they will be incapacitated, and the pouches will come back here to Gringotts, and we will let you know to come and pick them up. For now, we will continue to invest and manage your accounts as your father had us doing. We have one more piece of business to take care of."

Ragnok took out a small stack of documents, and slid them to Ayame.

"While Miss Potter has taken the position of Head of her family, the magics will not take effect to protect her properties and money until an of age wizard or witch signs guardianship papers for her. Once you sign these, we will be done for the day, and you can take care of anything else you need doing. If either of you needs anything from us, send a message ahead of yourselves, and I will make time to meet with you."

Ayame nodded, and quickly signed all off the documents where her signature was needed. As she signed the last one, both her and Harry felt a rush of magic flow through them. The family magics accepted Ayame's guardianship of Harry, and that was their notice of such.

Ayame stood, and both of the women bowed with the utmost respect to Ragnok. Ayame smiled as she spoke some very heartfelt words.

"Director Ragnok, I thank you greatly for your help today. You have given my daughter a gift today that makes this a wonderful birthday in my opinion. You have given her back her name and family, which is something my people value above all else. If ever you are in need of anything that we of the Atsuta shrine can do for you, please do not hesitate to ask. You and your people will always be welcome among us, or doors will always open for you."

Ragnok sat back in his chair, more than shocked at her words. This was the first time in centuries that a human had welcomed a goblin into their home, and was truly a momentous event. He stood, and bowed to Ayame and Harry, the first time he had ever shown respect to a human.

"Your words have touched my heart, and I extend the same to you and yours. Anyone of the Atsuta shrine is welcome into the halls of Gringotts, and will be known as a friend of the goblin people. If ever any of you need sanctuary, or even a bed for the night, come to us, and it will be ready for you. Be well, and be proud, for you are the first to be named friends of the goblin nation in centuries."

Amelia stood, bowing to Ragnok. She had just witnessed history in the making today, and it left her with a sense of awe.

"Director Ragnok, I thank you for allowing me to play my own small part in things today. I swear to you on the name of the House of Bones that I will do everything in my power to see that justice is done for Miss Potter. No cause is so righteous that a child should even suffer a tenth of what Miss Potter has. I will work to get all of the evidence I can, and will send reports to you of my progress, along with whatever evidence I find so that you may keep it secure for when you decide to go through with things."

Ragnok nodded his head to Amelia, gracing her with a smile.

"I thank you for that Director Bones. I would also like to extend the honor of being named a goblin friend to you as well. Your assistance in these matters will prove invaluable to our endeavors, and could change the course of life for humans and goblins alike. I look forward to working with you in the future."

Amelia tried not to let her shock show. For someone in her position to be named a friend to the goblin nation could very well indeed change the course of history for both species, at least in England. If she decided to run against the current Minister of Magic, and it became known that she was a goblin friend and friendly with the last Potter, she would be able to get the position easily. She did not want the job, but she recognized the position she was in now, and that she could be asked to run for it to help the others. Amelia bowed again to Ragnok.

"Director Ragnok, I am greatly honored, and will do all that I can to prove that your trust in me is well placed. May your enemies cower before you, and gold overflow your coffers."

With those words, she left the room, followed by Ayame and Harry. As they walked through the lobby, Ayame tapped her on the shoulder to get her attention.

"Director Bones, would you mind if we treated you to lunch, and perhaps had a conversation that was not as stiflingly serious?"

Amelia nodded a little, looking down at Harry and smiling a little.

"Follow me, I know of a great place, though it will be my treat, since I remember hearing that it was someone's birthday today."

Harry blushed a little, and then began to smile brightly. Today was her birthday, and she was being taken out to eat. That made it the best birthday she could remember. She paused for a moment, thinking. If it was her birthday, than it meant she had lost almost an entire year, since her Uncle had attacked her only a few days after her fifth birthday. The thought made her shiver for a moment, but was soon lost in the sudden change in mental direction that children are famous for.

Today was her birthday, and she was going to an actual restaurant for it!

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A/N: Hey everyone! Sorry for the delay in posting this chapter, been dealing with a few things in the real world. So, to make up for it, I made this chapter extra long, enjoy!

Also, the title of the last chapter was from a song by Chumbawumba, called Mary Mary. The original lyric is "What ever happened to Mary?"

Remember to leave me reviews, it inspires me to keep writing!


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